This Side of Paradise
by Just-ME-and-no-one-else
Summary: NON-CANON - Semi Alternate Universe - POKEMON: This is a sort of fairytale I started for my little sister. It's the tale of three trainers in the Sinnoh region.... The classic "Trainer on a Journey" with some twists. GOING THROUGH REWRITES
1. Intro

_**~This Side Of Paradise~**_

1,000 years.

That's how long it had been since Armageddon.

Or, what was _supposed _to be Armageddon….

1,000 years ago, the world was in turmoil. There was death, disease, and war. Political leaders clashed viciously, and morals were slowly declining as more people lost their way.

The United States was in an economic depression with no hope in sight, and the other countries weren't much better off. In desperation and anger, Religious groups blamed each other for their troubles.

With the fighting going on inside the country, less attention was placed to what was happening outside, and terrorist attacks grew worse and more frequent.

The hatred only grew on both sides, and eventually spread to the other parts of the world, until there was not one country at peace. Armies began to develop new technologies, among them were mutated animals, to take the place of some soldiers.

___

_Life can be a challenge,_

_Life can seem impossible,_

_It's never easy when so much is on the line._

_____

As the Earth slowly deteriorated, more and more people began to call for the fighting to cease.

Cries were heard across the world, "Peace on Earth!" " Thou shalt not kill!" "Love does not hate!"

…..And somehow….By a miracle…..The Earth began to come to peace.

___

_But you can make a difference._

_With courage you can set things right._

_____

Many peoples began to lay down their hatred, each man opening his eyes, only to see his brothers and sisters suffering. The majority banded together, rebuilding their homes from the bottom up.

And soon they were joined by the rest of the world.

___

_The gift to dream,_

_And make dreams real,_

_Is yours and mine._

_____

Nobody knew what to do with the creatures they had created for battle, so they remained in a military bunker, until they escaped into the world. Of course the release of these monsters struck worldwide panic.

They were captured and locked away, tortured or killed.

Until a young girl managed to befriend one of them. Her actions proved that these creatures were highly intelligent, and could be tamed, so as to be a threat to mankind no longer.

Still, the monsters soon overwhelmed the animals already in place, driving many creatures to extinction.

___

_The Power of One,_

_Begins with believing._

_It starts in the heart,_

_And flows through the soul,_

_And changes the world._

_____

After 500 eventful years, peace was finally obtained between all peoples.

The many nations became one.

The original beasts of Earth were all but completely extinct.

People had developed a technology that allowed the monsters to be captured and held in capsules small enough to fit into a pocket.

Because of this, they came to be called "Pocket Monsters", and later abbreviated to "Pokémon".

___

_Imagine how life will be,_

_When we stand in unity._

_Each of us holds the key,_

_To the Power of One._

_____

It has now been 1,000 years since the near end of the world.

There are no more animals. Like the Dinosaurs, they have become mere memories.

It has been more than 500 years since mankind has known any real trouble.

Now, humans beings become partners with Pokémon, and have incredible adventures together,

These people are called Pokémon Trainers.

This, is the story of three of those Trainers.

* * *

**Song:** _"The Power of One" from the Pokemon 2000 soundtrack_

Listen at: **www . youtube .com / watch? v = NhpYgw7ozdo** (Take out the spaces.)


	2. Characters

_Welcome to the new, re-vamped story version #1! _

_I'm likely to come in and change things as I see fit, but I'll make sure to let you know when I do!_

Special thanks to **LuxrayKing** and **Haruka-Shir** for reviewing the original!

_You guys rock!_

* * *

A few things to know:

1) This is my first fic and I'm dysgraphic so don't expect too much, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

2) The artwork for all of the characters can be found on my Deviant Art account.

3) If I use a song in a chapter I will post a link to a YouTube video with the song. Look for it at the bottom of the page. The videos I use are not likely to belong to me or my YouTube account.

**I do not own Pokemon, any songs that may be used, or any of the various items that may be referenced to in this story. This is all for fun, not profit.**

_**Tara, Blaise, Eric, the WING, and any other characters used in this fan fiction that do not already belong to a company are the sole property of ShoogaHai Creative Studios, and are not to reproduced in any way shape or form without the owners permission. (Meaning me.)**_

* * *

_**Characters:**_

Name: **Tara**

Gender: **Female**

Age:** 13**

Hair:** Blonde**

Eyes:** Green**

Skin:** Peach**

Height: **5' 4 (Approx)**

_Description and art: _

Tara has golden-blonde hair that reaches to her shoulders. She normally wears a light blue T-shirt with a white number five on the front, sneakers, white shorts, and a blue and white cap worn backwards. She also carries a backpack.

NO ART AVAILABLE YET

**

* * *

**

Name: **Blaise (BLAZE)**

Gender: **Male**

Age:** 14**

Hair:** Red**

Eyes:** Brown**

Skin: **Tan**

Height: **5' 7 (Approx) **

_Description and art:_

Blaise has short red hair that's slightly spiked. He normally wears a police-line-yellow T-shirt with two red stripes along the bottom, blue jeans with a small hole in one knee, black tennis shoes, and a red armband. He carries a tote-bag.

NO ART AVAILABLE YET

**

* * *

**

Name: **Eric**

Gender: **Male**

Age:** 10**

Hair:** Brown**

Eyes:** Blue**

Skin: **Peach**

Height: **4'8 (Approx)**

_Description and art:_

Eric has short, brown hair that falls rather limp. He normally wears a dark-green shirt with a tan swirl across it, brown boots, and camouflage shorts. He carries no bag, instead favoring a little metal bucket in which to carry his various shiny rocks and things he finds on the ground. All of his other belongings are in a little bag that is usually carried in his brother's tote.

NO ART AVAILABLE YET

* * *

**ITEMS:**

_WING: _A flying machine with elements taken from Hayao Miyazaki's movies, "Castle in the Sky" and "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind".

It is made of metal and painted white. It has four wings, two large ones that extend from the sides, and two smaller ones that come off from the bottom at an angle. The two bottom ones won't come out until the WING is at least 10 feet off the ground, and pull in when the WING comes to a landing. The other two have to be controlled manually.

The WING has a control panel that operates by touch, and is used for navigation. It has access to a satellite mapping network (Like a GPS), compass, weather forecasts, and some models can play music. (Not Tara's though, unfortunately for her.)

NO ART AVAILABLE YET


	3. Introducing Tara

_**Chapter One:**_ **Introducing, Tara!**

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, OR "I'M GONNA FLY".**

* * *

_One day, the whole world looks like an open page,_

_____

A pair of sneaker-clad feet climbed to the top of the cliff.

Tara closed her eyes, feeling the wind blow her hair across her face.

She smiled.

___

_And you've been dancing as fast as you can with a smile on your face._

_Then the Earth and the sky they open together,_

_And carry me away as light as a feather…_

_____

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to do.

Pulling her WING-class flight machine forward she pressed the starter switch, causing two large mechanic wings to extend from the sides. Despite it's size, it had been no problem carrying up. WING-class was a new series, ultra-light as well as sturdy.

Holding the WING out in front of her, she ran towards the edge of the cliff.

___

_Chase the clouds from the ground, _

_And the big blue sky,_

_Don't wanna watch it all go by._

_____

She began to pick up speed, feet pounding against the earth.

She could feel the wind beneath her WING, lifting it.

Finally she reached the edge, and, holding her breath, she jumped.

___

_So I'm gonna fly._

_____

Her feet were placed firmly in the straps of the machine as it soared into the air.

She was losing altitude fast, but she kept her cool and waited for the right time…

'Now!'

A trigger was pressed, and the thrusters powered on with a whir, sending the WING gliding smoothly forward.

As her flight smoothed out, she finally dared to look up, and was breath taken by the scene.

___

_Higher than I ever could._

_Feel the wind blow through my hair,_

_Feel the sun dance with the moon._

_____

She supposed she should be used to flying by now, but even still she couldn't help but be amazed.

Her homeland stretched out before her, green hills and woods as far as the eye could see.

Small clusters of homes were scattered across the landscape, with smooth dirt roads connecting them.

Every little village had a Church, a small shopping area, a Pokémon Center, and an occasional community center.

Despite their rustic looks, all of the villages had very up-to-date technology.

___

_And my feet can't stay on the ground any longer._

_With every leap of Faith I feel a little stronger._

_____

Peering carefully over the visor, Tara thought she could spot her home from there.

'Wait…Is that….My mom waving?'

A delighted grin spread across her face as she waved back.

"Bye mom! I'll call you tomorrow!"

She turned her attention back to her flying, and directed her Wing towards Sandgem Town, where her new Pokémon partner waited.

___

_Wanna swing from a star in the big blue sky,_

_Don't wanna watch it all go by…._

_So I'm gonna fly!_

_____

Yesterday was Tara's 13th birthday.

Even though most trainers started their journeys at 10, she hadn't felt quite ready at the time.

She hadn't been able to fly then, so her mom would have had to drive her, and she didn't want that!

It was nothing personal of course, but she wanted to start this journey completely on her own.

___

_And see for myself what it looks like from up there._

_Taste the stardust in my mouth,_

_Chase the clouds until they disappear._

_____

So she waited, and spent more time practicing and working with the villagers and their Pokémon.

Three years…..

She knew she would be a bit behind the other trainers, but hey, she was a fast learner, right?

___

_And my feet can't stay on the ground any longer,_

_With every leap of Faith I feel a little stronger._

_____

Tara moved one hand to finger her necklace.

It was a silver dragonfly, a rare creature that was said to bring good luck if you saw one.

Of course, nobody actually believed in luck anymore, not for 500 years or so anyway.

But even if it wasn't lucky, it held a place close to her heart.

Her best friend had given it to her as a farewell gift.

___

_Wanna swing from a star in the big blue sky,_

_Don't wanna watch it all go by…._

_____

Tara laughed a bit to herself.

She hadn't called it a "farewell" gift exactly.

She had called it a "See you later, Feraligator, we all love ya, even Nate-er." gift.

Nate, who was standing across the room, was more than a little bit disturbed.

Tara allowed herself another moment of happy memory, before turning to her bright future.

___

_So I'm gonna fly……_

* * *

**Song:** "I'm Gonna Fly" from Kiki's Delivery Service

_www. youtube .com / watch ? v= 58NVjVJPjj4 (Take out all spaces.)_


	4. Introducing Blaise NEEDS UPDATE

**_Chapter Two :_** **Introducing, Blaise!**

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON. I DO OWN TARA, BLAISE, ERIC, AND THE WING.**

* * *

Blaise came bursting out of his bedroom at around 10:00AM.

"Aw man! Why did I have to sleep in TODAY of all days?!"

He scurried to pack his things, cursing himself all the way.

"MOM! Why didn't you wake me up?!" Blaise yelled as he ran into the kitchen.

"Oh? You looked so peaceful I really didn't want to bother you honey."

Blaise resisted the urge to slam his head on the counter.

Shaking himself out of it, he gave his mother a peck on the cheek, before darting out the door with a "Gottago,seeyabye!"

Blaise mounted his skateboard and took off down the street.

He had a LONG journey ahead….

As he rode, he thought back on how he'd gotten here.

His mother was, just a little bit overprotective. Okay maybe "little" was an understatement.

She refused to allow him to leave on his journey when he was 10, and now he was 15 and only JUST starting off!

He sighed, it would be embarrassing to be in the same league as the younger kids, especially "him".

"He" was Blaise's younger brother. The one that he hadn't seen in five years.

When Blaise's father had left to be apprenticed in the ironworks, he had asked to take little Eric with him. Mother had sorrowfully agreed.

Now, on Eric's 10th birthday, the two were finally going to be reunited.

Their father couldn't come home, not yet, though he promised to soon.

However, Eric was ready to make a journey of his own.

It was because of this and this alone that Blaise was able to go.

Because his mother didn't want Eric out there alone.

Blaise finally reached the town square.

He stopped, and began to look around for his brother.

'None of these people even look slightly similar!' He thought.

He was about to give up hope, when a dark shadow appeared above him.

"Nii-san!"


	5. Introducing Eric

_**Chapter Three :**_ **Introducing, Eric!**

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON. I DO OWN TARA, BLAISE, ERIC, AND THE WING.**

* * *

"C'mon Flygon! We're gonna be late!"

"Flyyaar!"

Eric urged his father's Flygon faster towards the town below.

As they drew in closer, he began to scan the area for his older brother, Blaise.

Eric was excited beyond measure.

He would finally get to see his brother again! He wondered if Blaise had changed much.

"Where are you…Nii-San!!"

He yelled and waved as he spotted a bright red head and a custom skateboard.

The head might have been enough, but the skateboard was a dead giveaway.

Blaise had had it for as long as Eric could remember.

Blaise looked up at the call, and gasped at the sight of a dragon hovering over his head.

Eric guided Flygon in to a landing a few feet away, then hopped off and ran to his brother.

"Blaise!"

"Eric!"

Before he knew it, Eric was caught in a big hug.

Nope. Blaise hadn't changed a bit.

"I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too bro ….How the HECK did you get a Flygon?!"

* * *

Tara sighed, this trip was taking longer than she had expected, and she was getting bored.

"I wonder where the closest village is…."

Curiously she pressed a search key on her location system. Nothing.

"Dang……Maybe I can find a nice spot to stop once I get over these woods."

Still bored to death, Tara began to hum. It was an old hymn that her mother always sang when doing chores around the house. With the tune to accompany her, Tara began to feel her spirits lift. Encouraged, she raised her voice and started to sing.

"_Sing glory and praise to our God,_

_Who alone gives light to our days!_

_Many are the blessings He bears to those who walk in His ways!_

_We the daughters and sons of Him, _

_Who built the valleys and plains-"_

She stopped when she spotted a smoothly flowing stream emerging from the trees below.

"Perfect!"

She glided down to a stop by the water.

Tara laughed with joy at the place she'd found. The stream was calm, and she could see the bottom through the crystal clear waters. The area was surrounded in trees, so that it was only easily visible from the sky. There were flowers of different kinds and colors sprinkled across the ground.

Yes. Definitely the perfect spot.

Tara set her backpack down and unpacked her lunch, then said a quick prayer, took off her shoes, and dipped her feet while she ate.

"So maybe flying for three hours isn't the best, but it's worth it for moments like this."

* * *

Blaise didn't know how long they had been walking…..But it seemed like FOREVER.

The weather was nice that morning, but as of now the heat was nearly unbearable.

He was glad for the shade these woods provided.

"Hey bro?"

"Yeah Eric?"

"I'm hot."

Blaise resisted the urge to strangle his brother. It was only the FIFTIETH time he had voiced that so far…..

He sighed, rubbing his brother's fuzzy brown head. "I know Eric. I know."

"Hey bro?"

Blaise tensed. "WHAT ….Now?"

"Umm…..There's a girl over there."

"What?!" He looked up, startled.

He turned to see a young girl leaning over the side of some sort of aviation machine.

Her blonde hair fell in front of her eyes and she brushed it away with a sweaty hand.

"Maybe we should help her?" Eric suggested. "....Blaise?"

"Yeah…." Blaise found it surprisingly difficult to respond. "Maybe we shou-WHAOH!!!!!"

In a split second the machine had activated, sending it flying through the trees, straight at his head. Blaise jumped quickly to the side to avoid the charging vehicle. Eric joined the girl watching in stunned silence as it continued on a few yards, only to hit a tree and stop dead in it's tracks.

For the moment, the three could do nothing but stare at the smoking machine.

"DUDE…"

* * *

**That song she was singing was one of my favorite hymns from my church. Why did I add it? Because I wanted to. **

**If you don't like it I'm sorry but I don't see it harming anyone and you can go read another fic. Thank you! ^^ *hums hymn* **


	6. Somebody Has A Temper! NEEDS UPDATE

**_Chapter 4:_ Somebody Has A Temper!**

Yea, so I know I said no more song fic but.....I couldn't resist.

I just love this song and the thought of singing it on the road is just....Well, you'll have to read it.

**WARNING**: _Brief crude language._

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR "FREE AND EASY". I DO OWN TARA, BLAISE, ERIC, BILL, AND THE WING.**

* * *

Blaise finally regained his senses, and lost his temper."WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU TRYING TO DO?!?!?!"

"Huh?" Tara gazed at him, perplexed.

"You know what I mean! Trying to kill me with that… _thing_!"

"_Kill_ you?! I had nothing to with that!"

"Oh really? It's your flying-machine-thingy isn't it?"

"Yeah but-"

"SO YOU _WERE_ ATTACKING ME!!!"

"WHAT?! But-I-You-Not-Eh!"

Blaise raised an eyebrow at her accusingly.

"I don't have to put up with this!"

"Well I shouldn't have to put up with being attacked!"

"I. DIDN'T. ATTACK. YOU."

"Oh? So it started up on it's own?"

"As a matter of fact, yes!"

"Bullshit!"

Tara flinched at the language used. 'So he wants to be rude? I can do rude!'

"Says the man who looks like he bathes in it!"

"WHAT?!?!?! YOU TAKE IT BACK OR SO HELP ME!"

She smiled smugly. "What? You'll hit me? I wouldn't be surprised. A guy like you _couldn't_ have any honor."

"No _honor_?! My family is incredibly honorable! My father is-"

"Lalalalalalalala! I can't hear you!"

"Why you little-"

"STOP~!!!!"

Both of them froze at the sound of the voice.

"You're both acting like babies! …Please…Bro? Just stop this…"

Tara sighed. The kid was right. Suddenly she felt pretty dumb.

"No! Eric, she has gone too far! I can't just-" "Hold on!"

Blaise blinked, surprised at the sudden interruption.

Tara spoke up."Look, I don't want to fight. Ok? What happened was an accident, and I won't deny that you shouldn't have yelled at me in the first place!.....But…I shouldn't have retaliated. And I shouldn't have called you those things or just assumed anything about you. So…I'm sorry."

Blaise could do nothing but stare. Here was this girl, who just a minute ago was close to chewing his head off, _apologizing_. She had seemed ready to keep it up forever too! No. There's no way she could be sincere. But one look at her face proved that assumption to be wrong.

"I feel _really _stupid. How I acted was nothing my mother could be proud of. So… Friends?"

She extended her hand. Blaise stared at it a few seconds longer, before taking it solemnly. "Yeah. I was kinda acting like a kid myself. Sorry."

"Don't forget me!" Eric piped up from behind his brother. "Hm? Oh hey!" Tara smiled at the sweet kid. "Of course not!" She shook his hand as well.

"I'm Eric by the way! And this is my brother, Blaise!" He said. "Uh..Hi?" Blaise looked slightly embarrassed to be introduced by his brother. Tara had no clue as to why though. 'What's wrong with that?' She thought. ' I think it's kindof cute.' She spoke out loud. "I'm Tara. I'm on my way to Sandgem town to get my first Pokémon."

"No way!" Blaise exclaimed.

"What?" Tara was confused. Luckily Eric came in with an explanation. "That's where we're going!"

"Really?! Sweet! Hey maybe I can-Oh no." With a gasp Tara ran to her WING where it still laid by the tree. "Aw_ maaan_! No fair!" It was no doubt, broken. One of the wings was bent, hanging at a strange angle off the side. The visor was shattered, it was smoking a bit, and some fluid was leaking from the front.

"I think it's broken." Blaise pointed out.

Tara resisted a facepalm at his statement of the blatantly obvious.

Eric contemplated the situation for a moment. "Bro?"

"Yeah Eric?"

"Maybe we can travel together? Like, her with us. Then we won't have to worry about the Ariados as much, and when we get to the road, she can ride with us so she won't have to walk!"

Blaise was still a little sore about the insults of earlier. "I'm not sure….I mean…Uuh.."

He glanced at Tara's hopeful face, then back at his brother. "Oh NO! Don't do that now!"

Eric was pulling his famous PUPPY EYES OF DOOM. "Pleeeaaassse?"

Blaise sighed, defeated. "Fine."

He was rewarded with cheers from both sides. 'Little brothers….' He couldn't help a small smile.

----

After a long and uneventful trek through the rest of the woods, the trio finally reached a road.

Along the way, they had learned a lot about each other, enough to know they were all fresh on their journeys. Also, somewhere along the way Blaise had been convinced to carry the broken WING. It was safe to say he was thoroughly exhausted.

They were all glad when a green pickup truck stopped for them. Hitchhikers were common along this road, but so were generous drivers.

A bearded head appeared in the window."Where ya headed?"

Tara spoke up. "Sandgem sir."

"Perfect! Hop on in the back then!"

Thanks were said as the three climbed into the truck bed.

"Anytime! By the way, the name's Bill." He said as he rolled down the back window.

"Tara." "Blaise." "I'm Eric!"

Bill chuckled warmly while starting the engine.

"Well it's very nice to meet you all. Now hold on tight!"

---

Tara watched the world flash by, the sun on her head and a breeze on her cheeks.

It was such a relief to be off her feet, and she was sure the others felt the same way.

Eric was leaning on the side, looking like he was struggling not to doze off.

Blaise was looking curiously at a cloth-covered box at one end of the truck bed.

Tara watched as he slowly lifted the edge of the cloth and peered inside. A sudden smile graced his features now, and his eyes lit up like Christmas. It was an amusing expression on the rather solemn boy.

Blaise reached eagerly into the box and pulled out a guitar. Then some small drums. Then a banjo.

He picked up the guitar and started to tune it. Eric heard this and was instantly awake.

"Oooh! Are there drums?!" He asked animatedly.

"Right there. Can you play them?"

"Of course!" Eric said, looking very proud of himself.

---

A few minutes later, Blaise was strumming and Eric was drumming in perfect harmony together.

Tara was loving every minute of it, and so was Bill. She had been worried he wouldn't want them to touch his instruments, but he had shrugged it off with "If they aren't being played I don't know what the heck they're for!"

Tara was a little sad she couldn't play the banjo. She was pretty good with a flute, but Bill didn't have any of those, so she sat, wishing she could contribute to the music. She closed her eyes, and let the rhythm catch her. It was a happy, carefree melody. Her foot started tapping, and she could feel the nonexistent words speaking to her.

Then, she had an idea.

She waited for the right moment, and then began to sing. She wasn't sure what she was going to sing, but she sang anyway, the words being born from her heart, forming to match the melody.

"_Pair of boots, and a sack of clothes,_

_Free and easy down the road I go…_

_Hanging memories on the highline posts,_

_Free and easy down the road I go!"_

Blaise and Eric looked up, startled, but both managed to plug along with the tune.

"Well now! Was that you Tara?" Bill asked from the front.

"Um…Yeah. I'm not that good, sorry."

"Are you kidding me?! You're great! Keep it up!" He encouraged brightly.

Tara felt her heart lift and she started again.

"_There's no telling where the wind might blow,_

_Free and easy down the road I go…._

_Living life like a Sunday stroll,_

_Free and easy down the road I go!"_

Then Blaise's voice jumped in.

"_If you only get to go around one time…_

_I wanna sit back and try to enjoy the ride!"_

Tara continued.

"_I could win my battles or lose them all,_

_Free and easy down the road I go!"_

And Blaise.

"_But that don't matter when I go, so…_

_Free and easy down the road I go!"_

And then Eric decided to join.

"_Someday I know it's gonna take me home!"_

And Blaise prompted them on with…

"_Sooo….."_

And all three voices came together now.

"_Free and easy down the road we go!_

_Yeah! Free and easy down the road we go!_

_Free and easy…. down the road!"_

And Tara finished it with.

"_Down the road……"_

And the truck rumbled on down the road towards Sandgem.

* * *

**So our heroes will be getting thier starters very soon now, and now that school's out for me I can finally work on this a bit more!**

**The song was "Free and Easy" but I don't remember the artist. I'll post the link when I find it. **

**I changed the lyrics a tiny bit to be more Pokemon-ish. ****If anyone knows the artist please let me know!**

**Constructive criticism is welcomed! Thanks!**


	7. Author's Note

So yeah…I'm just going to be rewriting this soon, considering how much it sucks. O_o

But, unfortunately all my time is currently occupied with schoolwork, artwork, housework, and various other things. (mainly schoolwork) So I won't be able to work on this for God knows how long! *sweatdrop*

Anywhoooo………I'm going to leave what is here already, I won't take it down – And hopefully the revised version will involve a lot more story and a lot less Mary-Sue-ness….And less suck-ness. That would be nice.

"Till then! God Bless! =3


End file.
